Even A Rose Has Its Thorns
by AnubisFearie
Summary: "It's really something," Ranma said to himself, "Of all my fiancee`s, nobody ever expected it to be her." A very surprising Ranma love story with action, curses, and STUFF! Pair-up: Ranma and... HA read and see!
1. Prolouge

"Even a Rose Has Its Thorns"  
  
@~^-^~-^~-  
  
Prolouge  
  
"Simply Someone"  
  
By: AnubisFearie  
  
[pic]  
  
*~================~*  
  
"Ranma, you jerk!" Akane screamed angerly, flailing a frying pan violently at her fleeing fiance`. Sure, the pan didn't handle as well as her trademark mallet, but it would do. The pig-tailed boy cut his escaping tome in one fourth by sliding down the banister and dashing into the living room, knocking over Soun and Genma's shogi board as he did so.  
  
"Hey, boy!" Genma growled, seizing his son by the leg and gesturing toward the spilled gaming objects. "Look what you did!" Ranma tripped due to his father's grab and landed on the floor with a thud. Akane yelled something he couldn't make out as she flew towards him.  
  
'Oh man, oh man, oh man...' Ranma thought frantically as he stared at his angry tomboy-of-a-fiancee`. "Come on Akane! It's not my fault!" he said, obviously switching tactics from "Plan A: Run for your life, you idiot" and "Plan B: She's going to get you, so grovel like a dog and hope for a tornado".  
  
"Ranma you idiot!" Akane screeched, bringing her lethal kitchen utensil for a quick visit to Ranma's rib cage. The boy waved his hand defensivly, only to be knocked unconcious by a fly-by pan to the head and sent sailing out the door and through the air.  
  
'What did I ever do to deserve this.....?' Ranma thought subconciously, suddenly remembering what brought on this frying pan massacre...  
  
Flashback, 5 minutes ago...  
  
"Ranma!" Akane called in a near sing-song voice from the kitchen. A greenish smoke sifted out the window, followed by other toxic gasses. Ranma bounded in and perched him self on the countertop like a cat.  
  
"You beckoned, your highess?" the boy replied jokingly. Akane tossed her apron at him in agitation. Ranma sniffed the air and gagged. "Chemistry project?" he questioned.  
  
Akane whacked him with her wooden spoon. "No, you stupid jerk!" she snapped, whipping a plate from behind her. "Now, I'm going to prove you wrong!" She handed the plate of... stuff... to her fiance`.  
  
Ranma stared questioningly at the green blob of goo with a charred black coating of... something. There were red speckles along its sides. "Wrong about what?" he asked, watching the object wiggle, "That aliens don't land on earth?"  
  
Akane yanked Ranma's pigtail and scooped up a big spoonful of the glop. "Listen, you smart ass!" she growled, "I went through all that trouble to make you this damn cake and you're going to eat it!" She shoved the contents of the spoon in her victim's mouth.  
  
Ranma's eyes became watery and his tounge burned. He held his throat as if he were choking and began to cough and gag. His face turned slightly greenish and then the whole world went blank...  
  
When he came to, Kasumi was standing over him, fanning his face gently with a magazine. She smiled happily as the boy slowly sat up and rubbed his head. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alright, Ranma-Sama!" she chirped.  
  
Suddenly, Ranma found his face being attacked by a brain hugging alien... or Akane's cake to be exact. He wiped it off with his sleeve and looked up to see a peeved tomboy and her trusty frying pan. "You are such a JERK!" she screeched.  
  
"A...a...akane!?" Ranma stammered, woozily standing on his feet. "What are you so worked up about?" He began to sweat as the girl advanced toward him.  
  
"WHAT AM I SO UPSET ABOUT?!" his angry fiancee` mimicked loudly, pulling the pan above her head. "I worked hard on that cake and you didn't even appriciate it! Instead, you pass out, you asshole!" She brought the pan down upon were Ranma had stood, only to find that he was already dashing up the stairs.  
  
"Look! It ain't my fault!" he pleaded with his persuer, "How am I supposed to NOT pass out?" He noticed Akane screech angerly at this. "I mean, uh... it ain't my fault! WHA! Careful, you could have hit me with that! GAA! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!!!"  
  
End Flashback, present time...  
  
Ranma sighed as he pulled himself... or rather HERself... out of the park's fountain. He stared down at his new bosom in aggitation and then glared up at the sky. "Oh sure, have some fun with the FREAK, why don't you?!" she growled to the gods above, sure that somebody up there was laughing at her expense. She sighed slowly and then threw a punch at a nearby tree and watching it fall. 'Damn this... as if things could ever get worse.' she thought. Too bad she had to go and think that!  
  
"Ranma!" Shampoo called, leaping off her bike and to Ranma's side, intwining her body with her arm. "Shampoo so happy see Ranma! Now Ranma go on date with Shampoo, yes?" she purred as she rubbed against the boy-turned- girl's shoulder.  
  
"Shampoo, get lost!" Ranma yelled, attempting to wiggle free of the purple-haired bath product's grasp. "I ain't going to date you! I told you I'm not interested, so leave me alone!" Shampoo, as usual, ignored this.  
  
Suddenly, a fly-by spatula knocked Shampoo from her prize and sent her to the ground with a gasp. Ukyo ran up to Ranma and stood in front of Shampoo. "You leave my Ran-Chan alone, you ditz!" she demanded.  
  
'Good old Ukyo...' Ranma thought as she watched the two girls argue. 'Too bad she ain't a guy, that way she wouldn't bug me like this.' She watched as the two threw back and forth some "Ranma is mine!"s and "He belongs to me!"s.  
  
Onna-Ranma whistled for their attention. "Hey!" she snapped. "I don't belong to either of you! Why can't you get that threw your damn heads? Just leave me alone!" She attempted to leave but Shampoo latched on one of her arms and Ukyo on the other.  
  
"Where is going, Ranma?" Shampoo cooed, "Shampoo love you! You is all mine, not Spatula Girl's!" Ukyo growled and rubbed on Ranma in a similiar way.  
  
"Ranma Honey, don't you listen to that bimbo!" she crooned, laying unneeded emphasis on that last word. "You were my fiance` long before she came along. Besides, I'm your TRUE love! You're mine, right?" Shampoo hissed angerly and the two resumed their fight once more.  
  
Sitting in in a nearby tree, a girl in a black leotard watched with interest. At first, she had been all ready to leap into the fray with some black rose petals and declare Ranma her's, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the way Ranma begged them to leave her alone. She sighed and twirled her red ribbon around her pointer finger. She had always pretended that she didn't know about the boy's curse, and she wondered why. Maybe there was a better way to show Ranma she cared about him...  
  
Later that night, Onna-Ranma plodded down the dark streets of Nerima, thoughts of today's horrors still fresh in mind. 'Man, it was bad enough with Ukyo and Shampoo...' she thought, 'but then Kuno, Ryoga, and Mousse showing up trying to kill me... except for Kuno who just wanted to squeeze these damn breasts! They ain't mine, damnit! I ain't a girl!' For no reason but to appease herself, the red-head ran the rest of the way home.  
  
Walking onto the Tendos' porch, she sighed and shook back her hair. Akane was probably still mad... Mr. Tendo and his father would most likely try to beat him up for disappearing for so long... Nabiki would throw some blackmail in his face... and then, worse yet, Kasumi would smile that sad forced smile that he had seen so many times in the past. Could life get any worse?  
  
Ranma looked down at her feet, only to see an envelope tied with a lovely red ribbon lying on the ground. She plucked it up and turned it over a couple times. No return address, just the word 'Ranma' written on the back in lovely calligraphy. He hesitantly undid the bow and unfolded the neatly written letter inside...  
  
Dear Ranma,  
  
Meet me at the park by the fountain at noon tommorow. Please be there, it's very important. I look forward to seeing you there!  
  
With fond wishes,  
  
Simply Someone  
  
The note was decorated with a few glitter hearts and some colorful drawings of roses. She sighed as she stuffed the letter in her pants' pocket and walked in, hesitantly calling, "I'm home!" Immediatly followed by angry sounding footsteps.  
  
'Well, here they come...' Ranma thought, fingering her pocket gently.  
  
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Author's Notes: Okay, the prolouge is doooone! Happy happy! I know this sounds very odd but I urge you to PLEASE keep on reading. Chapter One is a- coming! Oh, and I love to get reviews, but please don't do so until you at least read chapter one teehee! ^_^  
  
@~^-^-~^- 


	2. It's A Date!

"Even a Rose Has Its Thorns"  
  
@~^-^~-^~-  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"It's A Date!"  
  
By: AnubisFearie  
  
[pic]  
  
*~================~*  
  
Ranma walked slowly across the park, admiring the lovely day. Birds were singing all around and the sun warmed the area around him. He was in a good mood, for one reason or another. He whistled a nameless tune as his tipped his green hat slightly. He didn't know why, probably something about the way that letter had been signed, compelled him to dress nicer than usual. He was wearing a bright green Chinese-style shirt and blue silk pants. Even though he felt good, he couldn't help but worry about who this "Simply Someone" was.  
  
He slowly approached the fountain, only to be greeted by the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his entire life. The girl standing before him had long strait hair laying down against her back, restrained only by a small white bow. Her sky blue sweater accented her lovely ocean eyes perfectly and the long navy skirt revealed two wonderfully shaped legs, hidden only halfway by her kneesocks. The blush that the girl immediately developed only made her cuter. "K...Kodachi...?" Ranma stuttered in amazement.  
  
Restraining herself from the incredible urge to confess her undying love for this young man in poetry, she nodded her head and smiled. "Ranma," she said in a soft voice, "I was watching you yesterday. The way those two girls were after you like that. It made me think."  
  
"Hold it!" Ranma butted in. "But... I was a girl! How could you know it was me?" Kodachi sat down on the bench next to the sparkling fountain and he hesitantly followed.  
  
"I've known for a long time about your curse. It doesn't bother me." she admitted. "But what does bother me is the way that your fiancee`s and myself have always treated you: Like a prize. I figured I should try a more subtle approach, Darling, and this is the deal. You go on this one date with me today, and if you still don't like me... that way... then I promise you I will never bother you again."  
  
"You will?!" Ranma asked in shock. Kodachi nodded. 'Maybe this demented Kuno ain't so bad after all,' Ranma thought. 'At least I can get rid of her'. "Okay, Kodachi," he said, shaking the girl's hand. "I agree."  
  
At first, Ranma was hesitant to so much as walk too close to the Black Rose. He later found himself occasionally holding her hand. He bought the both of them snowcones and they sat on the bench overlooking the lake, where rowboats could be rented.  
  
Ranma watched Kodachi with a passion as she finished the last few licks of her snowcone. It turned out that, even though it had only been about thirty minutes so far, he had had the girl figured out pretty wrong. They had enjoyed some nice talks as they had walked around the flower beds, laughing and having fun. Ranma decided to take the initiative as he saw Kodachi toss her napkin into the waste basket.  
  
"Kodachi?" he asked her. She turned to face him and smiled. "W...would you like to rent a boat?" Her smile grew bigger and she leaped to her feet.  
  
"Ranma, really?" she asked happily, clapping her hands. "Oh, I was hoping so that you'd ask!" The timid boy grinned and they made their way to the rental stand.  
  
It was mere moments later that a certain lost boy set eyes upon the couple rowing their little boat from shore. 'Is that Ranma, with another woman?' Ryoga thought to himself, gazing dumbfolded at them. 'That jerk! Betraying Akane like that! What a second... if he's with her... THEN AKANE NEEDS ME!' He dashed off in the direction he HOPED would lead to the Tendo residence.  
  
Kodachi let her hand run in the cool water. She sighed contently and looked up at Ranma. She never thought she'd see the day. He smirked in his trademark so-cute-you-just-want-to-hug-him sort of way. She giggled and he cocked his head to the side. "What's so funny?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing Darling." she replied, drawing circles in the water with her finger. "It's just that smile of your's..." She trailed off with a childish grin.  
  
"Huh?" Ranma crossed his arms. "What's wrong with my smile?" Kodachi put her index finger on his lips and chuckled softly.  
  
"There's nothing wrong with your smile." she answered him, putting her hands in her lap and blushing slightly. "It's just very cute." Ranma blushed and rubbed the back of his head. He had never had this much fun with Akane, Shampoo, or Ukyo and then get a compliment like this.  
  
"Something wrong, Ranma Darling?" Kodachi asked. Ranma realized that he had been just quietly blushing and staring at her. He laughed sheepishly.  
  
Suddenly, a streak of silver smashed through the middle of the boat snapping it in half. With a surprised yelp, the two were tipped into the water as it sank to the bottom. Onna-Ranma glared worriedly at the giant spatula as she pulled herself above the water.  
  
"Ranma Honey!" Ukyo yelled from the dock not far off. "What do you think you're doing?!" Kodachi pulled herself out of the water and latched on to the overturned half of a boat. It figured something like this would happen.  
  
"Ucchan?! What the heck are you doing here?" Ranma asked, treading water. With a mighty leap, the okinomiyaki hobbiest flew from the shore where she stood and landed on somebody else's boat. The angry people were knocked into the water.  
  
"That's what I want to know!" she snapped, glaring angerly at Kodachi who shot back a look of raw hatred. Ranma heaved herself up onto a half of boat.  
  
"What does it look like?" she retorted, "I'm boating. Do you need a reason?!" The red-head helped Kodachi up onto the boat-like chunk of floating object.  
  
"I know what you're up to!" Ukyo hissed, pointing her combat spatula at the Black Rose. "Come on! We'll settle this here and now!"  
  
Without a second thought, Kodachi whipped out her battle ribbon from seemingly nowhere and rose slowly to her feet. "Interupt our date, will you?" she growled, keeping her Shakespiere speech to a minimum, "Well, I shall be more than happy to teach you some manners!"  
  
With a scream of fury, Ukyo swung her giant spatula at the dark- haired girl. Kodachi leaped above it and thrust her arm toward her, whipping the ribbon as she did. Ukyo gasped and just barely dodged it.  
  
"Come on, now! Stop it you two!" Onna Ranma begged them. They paid no heed and continued their fight witgout so much as a pause.  
  
All of a sudden, a loud familiar "AIYAA!" filled the ears of the three girls (or, in Ranma's case, boy-turned-girl). Shampoo stood in a boat of her own, bonbori ready, and cute little face lined with fury. "Ranma no belong you!" she snapped, getting into a ready stance. "Ranma belong only Shampoo! Now Shampoo mad!"  
  
"Oh, attack of the purple-haired bath product!" Ukyo mocked as she brought her large kitchen utensil over her shoulder and smirked. "I'm so scared! Besides, you all should know that Ranma Honey loves me!"  
  
"How dare you treat my darling Ranma as if he were a trophy to be had!" Kodachi retorted, snapping her whip for attention. "I shall bring you both to your knees!" She was obviously having a difficult time toning the smooth talk down. She lunged forward, surprising Ukyo, and slammed her body into the cook's. She dropped her combat spatula and fell over backwards into the water.  
  
Needless to say, Ukyo was now extremely angry. She leaped out of the water and chucked seven small but sharp spatulas at the gymnist. Kodachi managed to dodge five of them, but the other two clipped her shoulder and side and she stumbled back into the water in much the same fashion as Ukyo had.  
  
"Ignore Shampoo, yes?" the Amazon snapped, swinging her bonbori for show. "Now Shampoo really really mad! Shampoo beat all and take Ranma! HIYAA!" Shampoo jumped into Ukyo's boat and slammed her round weapon into her side. She fell onto her rear with a thump and held her side in pain.  
  
"Ucchan!" Ranma yelled, finishing helping Kodachi into the nearest boat. "Come on! Stop fighting, you idiots! You're just going to get hurt!"  
  
Shampoo bounded happily to Ranma's side and rubbed her cheek against her's. "Ranma worried about Shampoo?" she asked affectionatly. "You I love, Ranma!" She latched onto the red-head's arm and purred with glee.  
  
"Get off him, you bimbo!" Ukyo fumed, hopping to Ranma's other side and grabbing her arm. "Ran-Chan, I love you more than this ditz!" Shampoo growled and gritted her teeth in the cheif's direction.  
  
"Both of you, just leave him alone!" Kodachi spoke up. The three turned to face the girl, expecting to see an angry whip-bearing gymnist in a fighting stance. They were surprised to see her standing on two wobbly legs, arms hanging limply at her sides and ribbon in a heap at her feet. She had stubborn tears welling up in her lovely blue eyes.  
  
"Why Shampoo should?" replied the unhappy Amozon. "Ranma Shampoo husband! He love only Shampoo, so you go home!" Kodachi's fists clenched.  
  
"Oh, you think so?" she responded, her hands shaking slightly in anger. "I think perhaps it is you who should go home!" With that, she brought her knee into Shampoo's gut and she fell into the water with a loud splash. Ranma looked worried, knowing what would emerge.  
  
"Myow!" Shampoo-Cat hissed as she splished around. Ranma screamed and ducked behind Ukyo and Kodachi, mumbling something about evil cats ripping eyes out. Kodachi blinked. 'She too must be cursed!' she thought to herself with a contented grin.  
  
"Now it's just me and you, sugar." Ukyo said to the Black Rose, picking up her spatula and getting into a ready stance. Kodachi scooped up her ribbon and twirled it in little loops perfesionally.  
  
"Fine! Then take this!" Kodachi yelled as she whipped her ribbon at Okinomiyaki Ukyo, who leaped up above it.  
  
"It'll take more than that to beat me!" she laughed, bringing her spatula up over her head, "HYA!" she brought it down hard, but Kodachi managed to dodge and leap into the next boat. She followed the Kuno. Ranma just sighed and let herself sink with the boat.  
  
Meanwhile, at the Tendo Dojo, Ryoga had miraculously found his way to Akane. (Actually, he followed the jogging panda. ^_^) 'Okay, Ryoga,' the fanged boy thought to himself, clenching his fist tightly around the flowers he had bought for her. 'This is it! You've got to tell her how you feel!' He slipped quietly into the yard where Akane sat, writing something he couldn't see.  
  
'Hello, Akane! Fine day isn't it? No no! Good afternoon, my love! My aren't you looking beautiful!' he practiced in his head as he walked up to her. His mouth, apparently, hadn't been listening. "H-h-hi, you!" He slapped his forehead.  
  
Akane shut the book she had been writing in and slid it next to her. "Oh, hi Ryoga!" she chirped. "Where have you been?"  
  
'Okay, now be supportive! Look like a sensitive guy; remember, her fiance just dumped her.' He threw his arms around Akane dramatically and wailed, "Oh, Akane! It must be so hard for you! You're heart must be broken! But I'm here for you!" 'Oooo, good one!'  
  
Akane gently pushed him off and cocked her head in confusion. "What are you talking about, Ryoga?" Ryoga blinked a couple times before regaining his composure. "About Ranma casting you aside for another woman." Akane jumped to her feet and growled.  
  
"WHAT?!" she howled, making the Eternal Lost Boy step back in fear. Her face was already red. "What do you mean?!"  
  
"You don't know?" he asked, blinking dumbly a little more. "Ranma's down at the park on a date with some other girl. He just rented a boat and they're----"  
  
Akane cut him off with a shriek and she dashed off toward the park. 'What did I do wrong?' Ryoga thought to himself. Then he noticed the book Akane had left behind. He picked it up and read the cover: "This Journal Belongs To Akane Tendo! Do not read!" His heart pounded. If he opened it, he would betray the woman he loved's trust. Then again, what she didn't know couldn't hurt her. He gulped and, tucking the book under his arm, hopped off above the rooftops.  
  
Ukyo once more came sputtering out of the water. "Why you...you..." she trailed off when she heard Akane's bellowing voice growing nearer and nearer.  
  
"Ranma you jerk! So it is true!" the angry tomboy yelled as she ran onto the dock. "What do you think you're doing?" She eyed Shampoo-Neko, Ukyo, and Kodachi carefully.  
  
"Akane, what is it?" Onna Ranma asked, jumping over next to her fiancee. Akane waved her finger towards the others and they just shrugged it off and continued fighting.  
  
"What are you doing, you idiot?!" the uncute girl snapped. "I want an explaination... NOW!"  
  
"Well, uh, you see Akane... uhmmm..." Ranma attempted, scratching her head. "It's not how it looks!" With a loud whap, Akane slapped her fiance angrily.  
  
Kodachi hurried up between the two and glared at Akane. "What do you care what Ranma is doing and with whom?" She crossed her arms and waited for an answer.  
  
"Wait... you know about the curse...?" Akane asked, tilting her head to the side and momentarily forgetting her anger.  
  
"Of course I do!" Kodachi replied with a snort. "Now don't change the subject. You claim to have no feelings for darling Ranma whatsoever but whenever you see him so much as talk to another woman you go insane. Just why is that?"  
  
Akane blinked. She scratched her arm nervously and looked around. She then huffed a big puff of breath and once more became angry. "It's not any of your buisness, you psycho! So why don't you just take a long walk over a short pier and make everyone happy?!" Ukyo shrugged her shoulders and walked off, not wanting to get involved in anything that might make Akane angry.  
  
"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Onna Ranma commanded, gently nudging Kodachi to the side and stepping up into Akane's face. "I think she's got a good point, anyway. What do you care who I go out with?"  
  
All that had been said to her swirled through Akane's mind. The way Kodachi was dressed... the way Ranma defended her... it made sense now! "Ranma, you ass!" she screamed, slapping the red-head again. "You're on a date with Kodachi, aren't you?!" She still couldn't believe it herself, at least not until she heard it from Ranma.  
  
Ranma's face turned as red as her hair. She glanced over at Kodachi. She looked so sad. She turned back to Akane. "So what if I am?" she replied, anger showing in her voice. "It's not like you should care, anyway. You always say you don't like me or nothing, so why do you got to act like this?!" Akane was taken back.  
  
Two thoughts went through her head right now. Either to whack Ranma with her good old mallet or to run off crying. They both got the best of her. "Ranma, you jerk!" she screamed, slamming the blunt object into her fiance's head before dashing off in the other direction, wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
"Ranma!" Kodachi kneeled next to the "girl" and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" Ranma grunted in affirmation. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" the Black Rose apologized, getting a tear in her eye. "It's all my fault that this happened..."  
  
The glistening drop of warm salty water that rolled down Kodachi's cheek reflected the gentle ocean that is her eyes. Ranma got on her knees and put a hand the quivering girl's arm. "No, it isn't," she answered, smiling weakly. "To tell you the truth, I had a lot of fun with you today." Kodachi looked up hopefully and smiled back.  
  
'Okay, let's see here...' Ryoga thought in the solitude of a back alley, flipping open the diary of his beloved and reading quietly to himself...  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
I saw Ranma with Shampoo today. Damn, that made me so MAD! I kicked him sky-high. Maybe I shouldn't have, though. I mean, he was only trying to get her to leave him alone. Why am I always acting like that around him? I wish I could just tell him I'm sorry and how I really feel. I remember the first day he came to live with us... it's hard to believe now just how mean I was to him! Oh well. Maybe someday that big dummy and I will work things out. Who knows? Maybe we'll even make our dads happy and get married. I'd like to have four kids! Oops, I'm getting ahead of myself. Kami-Sama, I love that big dope!  
  
-Akane  
  
That was all Ryoga could take. He dropped the book and it landed in a heap on the cement floor. 'No... no it can't be...' He began to shake slightly and then dashed off to find Ranma.  
  
'What's got him so worked up?' Nabiki thought as she watched the fanged boy run off. She slunk quietly into the alley and looked at her feet. 'Akane's diary?' She grinned. Depending on what was in it, this could mean big money...  
  
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Author's Notes: Ooohhh, a date! ^-^ Interesting plot so far, ne? Please keep reading and reviews are weeeelcooooome!!!! ^_________^ 


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